Installation in Norfolk gets ax by Pentagon

President Obama has accepted the Pentagon's plan to close the Norfolk-based Joint Forces Command, an economic blow to Virginia that was softened by the announcement that half of the installation's functions would remain in the Hampton Roads region.

In a memo issued by the White House on Thursday, Obama said he accepted Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates's recommendation and approved "the disestablishment of United States Joint Forces Command, effective on a date to be determined" by Gates.

The plan to close JFCOM has been controversial since Gates announced it in August. Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) and members of the state's congressional delegation said that the Pentagon did not release enough evidence or analysis to justify its decision, and they said that JFCOM performs valuable functions for the military that need to continue.

McDonnell said in a statement Thursday that he was "strongly opposed" to Obama's decision and would "continue to work diligently with local officials to try and minimize the effects on all those who work at JFCOM or are connected to its operation."

But the news wasn't all bad for Virginia officials.

As Gates announced the details Thursday of a plan to cut $78 billion in defense spending during the next five years, he said that "we have identified a number of missions since the August announcement that should be retained in the Norfolk/Suffolk, Virginia, area. We are still refining the details but expect that roughly 50 percent of the capabilities under JFCOM will be kept and assigned to other organizations."

JFCOM was established in 1999 and designed to help the military services operate together more effectively. Virginia lawmakers and Pentagon officials have lauded JFCOM's modeling and simulation programs, run in partnership with Old Dominion University. Sen. Mark Warner's (D-Va.) office said in a statement Thursday that he was hopeful that Hampton Roads could "maintain and perhaps even build upon" those functions.

Rep. Scott Rigell (R) - whose 2nd district includes JFCOM and who has been in office since Wednesday - said he was "somewhat encouraged" by Thursday's developments.

"From the very beginning, I've made clear that the essential mission of JFCOM needed to continue," Rigell said. "I'm pleased to see that, to some extent, the secretary of defense and the president agree that it should continue."

Because the Pentagon has yet to determine which JFCOM functions will be preserved and when the closure will take place, it's impossible to assess the impact on the Hampton Roads region. JFCOM employs about 6,000 people, including contractors, and had a budget of $838 million in the last fiscal year.

The Hampton Roads region hosts several major military installations in addition to JFCOM, and Virginia lawmakers hope to lure more to the area.

Sen. James Webb (D-Va.) has suggested that the Pentagon move the U.S. Africa Command to Norfolk from Stuttgart, Germany, and a Pentagon spokesman said in November that Gates would consider the idea.